To function effectively in the medical environment a psychiatrist must
be comfortable with the skills and values of medicine. He or she must
nurture his or her original knowledge in this area with an ongoing learning
program. Certain problems are uniquely encountered in this environment. The
psychiatrist must understand that various psychiatric disorders may be
masked by or may mask somatic complaints. He or she must expect to deal
with threatened and threatening patients. Most important, the psychiatrist
must understand that to be effective he or she must make a commitment to
involvement.Abstract Teaser